Automatic trapdoor for mines or the like



July 14, 1925.

R. WILLIAMS AUTOMATIC TRAPDOOR FOR MINES OR THE LIKE Filed Sept. 27, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented July 14, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BEN WILLIAMS, OI? WEST FRANKFURT, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF TEN PER CENT TO JOE KENEDY.

AUTOMATIC TRAPB'JOR FOE. E'IINE'S O11 THE LIKE.

Application filed September 27', 1924. Serial No. 740,297.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Ran lVILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at- West Frankfort, in the county of Franklin and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Trapdoor-s for nes or the like; and 'I do he eby declare the following to be full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an automatic t 0 door for mines or the like.

is aimed to provide a novel construction w ierein the door will be operated automatically t lir ugh travel of the cars or rolling stock and from either side of the door and will also close automatically.

Another object is to provide a novel construction wherein the-trigger rails are interconnected for joint movement and to limit upward movement.

The more specific objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the description following taken in con nection with accompanying drawings illustrating an operative embodiment.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating the improvement;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view on the line 22 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view, the c osed position of the door and relative position of the associated parts being shown in dotted lines, and

Figure at is a side elevation.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 10 designates a substantially rectangular frame for a door consisting of sections 11. This frame my be of any approved form and represents one as used at the entrance of a mine or the equivalent. Said frame has a sill as at 12 and track rails 13 for the mine cars rest thereon and may be spiked thereto. Such rails are additionally mounted as usual on ties 14.

The doors in their closed positions are in diverging relation to each other as shown and the transom 15 of frame 10 is shaped accordingly, that is, substantially triangular. Said doors may be urged to the closed position by any suitable means, for instance, by a spring means, or a weighted mecham ism. As shown, a transverse tie or element; is provided 16 to which the rails are spiked. A substantially U-shaped lever 17 has a bridge 18 which is journaled in bearings 19 fastened to one side of said transverse element or tie. 16. Arms 20 rise from the ends of the bridge 18 and have coil springs 21 connected thereto and to which in turn flexible cables or the like 22 are fastened which at 23 are secured to the doors, respectively. Standards 24 rise from the tie 16 and are provided with eyelets at 25 constituting guides through which the cables 22 pass. The springs 21 prevent breakage of the cables or their connection to the operating parts, particularly when the action thereon is sudden. Said doors are urged to closed position by means of'contractile coil springs 26 which are fastened respectively to the doors and to the frame 10.

Extending longitudinally of the track, midway of the rails and fastened to the ties 14, and in spaced relation, are runners 27. Two trigger bars or trips 28 are pivoted at 29 to the runners 27 and such bars are located in the slot or space afforded between the runners. Said bars 28meet at the doorway or frame 10 and loosely interfit at the meeting ends. At said ends, one ofthebars 28 is preferably convexed and the other is preferably concaved to conform thereto and slightly spaced therefrom to afford clearance for movement. Midway of the ends of bridge 18, it has a crank 29, which in the closed position of the door, so engages one of the bars 28 that such bars are raised at the doorway with their upper edges inclined with respect 'to and located above the tread of the rails 13. The action ofthe springs 26 tends to urge said bars 28 upwardly at their meeting ends and also at one end of one of said'bars, a weight or the like as at 30. by means of-a bail 31, is suspended. It

will be realized that the action of this weight is transmitted to both of the bars in View of their interfitting end connection.

The rolling stock or cars are of such construction as to engage the inclined upper edges of the bars 28 in order to depress the same or the cars may be particularly provided with arms or dependents to directly engage such bars.

In operation, the door sections 11 are normally closed due to the action of the springs 26 which also are assisted by the action of the weight 30 maintain the trigger bars 28 elevated at the doorway or frame 10 with their upper surfaces inclining away from such frame toward their pivots. The cars traveling on the rails 13, in either direction, contact with the upper edge of the adjacent trigger bar, thus depressing the trigger bar and causing the same to depress the crank 29, thus rocking bridge 18 and arms 20 whereby the latter exerts a drawing strain on the cables 22, thus moving the door sections 11 open and holding them open until the car passes through the doorway and moves out of engagement with the other trigger rail 28, after which the springs 26 contract, closing the door sections 11 and restoring the parts to normal position. The restoration of the trigger bars 28 to normal position is assisted by the weight 30. It will be noted that in the open position of the doors, they are completely outside of the rails 14 or path of travel of the car and that the doors are limited to open position by abutment against the standards 2 Various changes may be resorted to provided they fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention 1. In combination, a track, doors mounted for disposition across the track, standards serving to limit opening movement of the doors, means mounting said standards, a lever mounted on the last mentioned means, trigger means disposed between the rails of the track operable by rolling stock traveling along the track to actuate said lever, means to urge the doors to closed position, and a connection between the ends of said lever and said doors guided by said' standards designed to open the doors upon actuation of the lever.

2. In combination with a track, a door disposed across the same in closed position, pivoted trigger bars operable by rolling stock, means to control the movement of the door through the movement of said triggers, said triggers at their meeting ends hav ing interfitting connection and being otherwise unconnected for the purpose specified.

3. In combination with a track, doors disposed across the same, trigger bars operable by rolling stock, and means to control the movement of the door through the movement of said triggers comprising a lever having a laterally extending portion, means on which said portion is journaled, arms extending from said portion and operatively connected to the doors, and a crank extending from the lever disposedin engagement with one of said trigger bars.

4. In combination with a track, a door disposed across the same in closed position, pivoted trigger bars operable by rolling stock, means to control the movement of the door through the movement of said triggers, said triggersat their meeting ends having interfitting connection for the purpose speciher, said connection consisting of one of the trigger ends being substantially round and the other trigger end being concaved in conformity thereto and enlarged to provide clearance.

5. In combination with a track, runners disnosed intermediate the rails thereof, trigger bars pivoted to the runners and movable intermediate the same, means associated with one of the trigger cars to urge elevation thereof at their adjacent ends and inclination of their upper surfaces, said bars being in interlitted relation, said bars being adapted for depression through the passage of rolling stock alongthe track, a door frame about the track, door sections hinged to said frame and in closed position being in diverging relation and adapted for abutment a ainst one of the trigger bars, a tie beneath the track, standards rising from said tie, guide elements on said standards, said standards serving to limit opening movement of the door sections, a lever journaled on said tie, said lever having a crank in engagement with one of said bars for actuation through depression of the bars, arms rising from said crank, operative connections from said arms to the door sections passing through said guide elements, and means to urge closing movement of the door sections.

In testimony whereof I afi'ix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

, BEN WILLIAMS. Witnesses Mormon GRAIN, EMMA BRYAN. 

